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mushroom lentil stew with spinach in a bowl with a spoon and a cloth napkin
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4.56 from 107 votes

Mushroom Lentil Stew with Spinach

Warming, savory and super-flavorful, this good-for-ya stew is perfect healthy comfort food for winter. It's a real umami powerhouse and tastes about as meaty as vegetarian food gets. To make this recipe vegan, replace the butter with an additional 2 tablespoons olive oil and omit the cream.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Stews
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lentil mushroom stew, lentil stew, mushroom lentil stew
Calories: 394kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter, divided
  • 1 pound (454 grams) cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced on the thick side
  • 1 large yellow onion diced small
  • 2 ribs celery diced small
  • 2 medium carrots diced small
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt divided
  • 3 medium cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon (16 grams) tomato paste
  • 6 cups 1(420 ml) good vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon marmite optional
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • A few sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 cups (400 grams) brown lentils, rinsed and drained*
  • 5 ounces (142 grams) baby spinach
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) balsamic vinegar

Instructions

  • Warm one tablespoon each of the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat in a 5-quart Dutch oven or other heavy lidded pot.
  • Add mushrooms and cook, stirring just a few times, until nicely browned and reduced in volume by half. Remove mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
  • In the same pot, heat the remaining butter and olive oil.
  • Add onion, celery, carrots and ½ teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about five minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for a minute.
  • Stir in the tomato paste and cook a minute more.
  • Add the vegetable broth, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, soy sauce, marmite, bay leaf, and thyme. Raise heat to high.
  • Rinse and drain the lentils and add to pot.
  • When broth comes to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until lentils are nice and tender.
  • Remove from heat and remove thyme stems and bay leaf.
  • If you have an immersion blender, pulse it 4 or 5 times to puree the stew just a little bit. (Alternatively, transfer about two cups of the stew to a blender and puree it, then return to pot, or simply forego this step if you prefer.)
  • Return the mushrooms and any accumulated juices to the pot along with the spinach and cream.
  • Simmer briskly, uncovered, until spinach is wilted, about two minutes.
  • Off the heat, stir in vinegar.
  • Let sit for 10 minutes, then ladle into bowls and serve with good bread.

Notes

  1. For a vegan/dairy-free version, swap in more olive oil for the butter, and omit the cream or substitute cashew cream. To make this recipe gluten-free, omit the marmite and choose a gluten-free soy sauce such as tamari.
  2. If you prefer, swap in another dark leafy green for the spinach — try kale, chard, collards, mustard greens, or any other cooking greens that you like. Just be sure to give heartier greens a longer chance to simmer.
  3. Like many stews (and many people), this one only gets better as it has a chance to rest. It will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a year and can be reheated in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 53.3g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 13.2g | Fiber: 9.3g